I have decided to take a Rick Squillante approach to what would have been Rick Squillante’s 66th birthday and work as much sardonic, sarcastic smart-assery into my conversations today as possible.

The only problem is that I don’t plan to have many conversations because I will be plugged into my laptop at Wegmans, doing what the title here suggests. I have no teaching obligations to attend to (well, no immediate ones anyway), and it has been far too long since my last dedicated writing day.

So happy birthday, Dad. I am going to spend the day with my memories of you in close proximity to some delicious food and coffee. I am going to write and, undoubtedly, cry and that is as it should be.

Then, before I leave to get the kids, I will gather some good bread and cheese and olives and dry salami and maybe some pears or something more tropical, plus the makings for a birthday cake. I promised the kids we would make one for you today. It might be pink. Your granddaughter has strong opinions about such things. She wants to know if you will be able to open your mouth to eat it. I told her we would open our mouths for you.

In a sense that’s what I’ve been doing all this time, I guess. Though in all honesty, I’m also kind of amused by the image of you as a ventriloquist dummy sitting on my lap.

Oh come on, laugh. It’s funny. We’ve got our whole lives to cry. Well… I do, anyway.

See, sarcasm! Wonderful stuff, that, don’t you think? Yeah, I know you do. One of the many things I loved about you and am glad to have inherited.